Air conditioning units



March 9, 1965 u. BOWMAN AIR CONDITIONING UNITS Original Filed June 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l r'" "ll Q E FIG! 19. 1 g

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URBAN March 9, 1965 U. BOWMAN AIR CONDITIONING UNITS Original Filed June 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTOR.

URBAN BOWMAN.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,172,464 Am CONDITIONING UNITS Urban Bowman, New York, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application June 30, 1959, Ser. No. 824,067. Divided and this application Feb. 19, 1963, Ser. No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 165-36) This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 824,067, filed June 30, 1959, entitled, Air Conditioning Units.

This invention relates to air conditioning units including diaphragm damper arrangements and, more particularly, to an air conditioning unit including a diaphragm damper arrangement and control means therefor.

In induction air systems of the type disclosed, for example, in Carrier Patent No. 2,363,294, granted November 21, 1944, room units have been employed in which the volume of primary air has been held constant while temperature of secondary air induced through the unit heat exchanger has been varied by increasing or reducing the volume of conditioning medium flowing through the heat exchanger. Generally speaking, such systems involve expensive piping costs while the necessity of providing a summer-winter changeover valve at each unit which is capable of satisfactory modulation to meter the flow of conditioning medium through the heat exchanger under summer or winter operating conditions greatly increases the cost of the system.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a room unit for use in an induction type air conditioning system designed to obviate the disadvantages present in previous systems of this type.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning unit including a diaphragm damper arrangement and control therefor for use in an induction type air conditioning system.

A further object is to provide an air conditioning unit including a control responsive to temperature in the area being treated to vary the pressure imposed upon a diaphragm damper arrangement thus varying the quantity of secondary air passing through or bypassing the heat exchanger and including means responsive to temperature of conditioning medium passing through the unit heat exchanger to select the diaphragm damper in use.

Other objects of the invention will be readily perceived from the following description;

The present invention relates to an air conditioning unit comprising, in combination, a plenum chamber adapted to be placed in communication with a source of supply of primary air, a heat exchanger adapted to be placed in communication with a source of heat exchange medium, means connected to the plenum chamber to discharge primary air thereirom to induce secondary air through the heat exchanger, a diaphragm damper arrangement responsive to a predetermined control air pressure to regulate the quantity of secondary air induced through the heat exchanger and control means for the diaphragm damper arrangement to vary the quantity of secondary air induced through the heat exchanger.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of an air conditioning system including air conditioning units of the present invention;

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FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of an air conditioning unit of the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of a control arrangement for the diaphragm damper arrangement shown in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the attached drawings, there is shown in IGURE 1 an air conditioning system of the induction type including room units of the present invention. The system includes a central station 2 including dampers 3 through which exterior air may pass into the central station, a filter 4, a pre-cooling coil 5, a spray arrangement 6, a cooling coil 7, a heating coil 8 and a fan 9. Fan 9 draws air through the dampers 3 into the central station where the air is treated and supplies this treated air as a source or" primary air through a riser 1t? and run-outs 11 to room units 12 placed in the areas 13 being treated. It will be observed the room units 12 are shown diagrammatically, such units being illustrated in greater detail in FIGURE 2.

A refrigeration machine 15 is provided to furnish cold water to the room units. Pump P draws cold water from refrigeration machine 15 and forwards the cold water through line 16 to the heat exchangers in the room units 12, the water returning from the room units after passage in heat exchange relation with secondary air induced into the units through line 17 to the refrigeration machine.

A source of hot water 18 is also provided for passage to the heat exchangers of the room units during winter operating conditions. This heating source 18 is connected to pump P by line 19 and to return line 17 by line 20. Suitable valves are provided in these lines to permit cold Water or hot water to be furnished alternately to the room units as desired.

Referring to FIGURE 2, I have shown a room unit 12 which is a so-called blow-through unit. This unit includes a plenum chamber containing a first portion 56 connected through run-out 11 to a source of supply of primary air and a second portion 57 separated into a first section 58 and a second section 59 placed substantially in side-by-side relationship. An inlet 60 connects section 58 with portion 56 of plenum chamber 55. An inlet 61 connects second section 59 with portion 56 of plenum chamber 55. First section 58 is provided with nozzles 62 while second section 57 is provided with nozzles 63. The diaphragm damper arrangement 34 is provided to close inlets 6t and 61 so that the damper arrangement regulates passage of primary air from the first portion 56 of the plenum chamber into sections 58 and 59 of the plenum chamber rather than regulating the passage of secondary air through a heat exchanger. Arrangement 34 includes a separation plate 35 which in efiect divides or separates inlets 60, 61. Diaphragms 36, 37 are mounted on opposite sides of plate 35 and cooperate with the Walls of inlets 60, 61 to regulate the quantity of primary air passing into the first section 58 and the second section 59.

A heat exchanger 65 is placed above nozzles 62 of the plenum chamber 55. Heat exchanger 65 includes a coil 66 adapted to be connected to the source of supply of conditioning medium and having vertically extending heat exchange passages 67 placed on either side of coil 66. Thus, the discharge of primary air through nozzles 62 induces secondary air from the area being treated through the space or passageway between the heat exchanger and the plenum to mix with the primary air, the mixture passing upward through the vertically extending passages 67 being conditioned therein by coil 66 and being discharged into the area being treated.

When primary air is discharged from nozzles 63 of second section 59, secondary air induced into the unit bypasses the vertically extending pasages 67 of the heat exchanger 65 so that the secondary air is not varied in temperature, the mixture passing upward through a bypass passage rearwardly of the heat exchanger and being discharged into the area being treated.

It will be appreciated heat exchanger 65 may be supported from the wall 30 or, if desired, may be supported from plenum chamber 55 by suitable support means (not shown).

As shown in FIGURE 2, the diaphragm damper arrangement and unit is being operated under summer operating conditions so that the mixture of primary air and secondary air passes through the vertically extending passages 67 of heat exchanger 65.

It will be understood, of course, the various units described herein may be provided with casings or furred in the building or structure, as desired.

In FIGURE 3, there is shown a suitable control arrangement for the diaphragm damper arrangement 34. Referring to FIGURE 3, there is shown a regulator 46 connected by line 41 to a suitable source of control air pressure which, preferably, is primary air pressure as reflected in the plenum chamber 56 of the room unit. Regulator 40 includes two chambers 42, 43. Line 44 connects chamber 42 to the chamber formed by separation plate 35 and diaphragm 37. Line 45 connects chamber 43 to the diaphragm chamber formed by diaphragm 36 and separation plate 35. A changeover valve 46 is placed in lines 44, 45 to select the diaphragm chamber 36, 37 in which air pressure is applied. Preferably, changeover valve 46 is regulated by means of a bulb 47 placed on the heat exchanger of unit 12 so that it is responsive to a temperature of conditioning medium passing through the heat exchanger. Since warm water is supplied to the heat exchanger under winter operating conditions and cold water is supplied to the heat exchanger under summer operating conditions, it Will be appreciated that valve 44 selects the diaphragm in use under these various operating conditions.

Both chambers 42 and 43 of regulator 40 are connected to a control 48 which is responsive to temperature in the area being treated. A predetermined pressure is applied through regulator 40 to the diaphragm chamber in use. Control 48 serves to bleed air from the regulator 40 thus varying the pressure imposed against the diaphragm of the chamber in use.

Considering the operation of the air conditioning unit under summer operating conditions, primary air is supplied to the plenum chamber 56, being discharged therefrom through nozzles 62 inducing secondary air into the unit through the space or passageway between nozzles 62 and heat exchanger 65, the mixture of primary and secondary air passing through passages 67 of heat exchanger 65. Regulator 40 supplies a predetermined air pressure from the plenum chamber 56 through chamber 43 thereof and line 45 to diaphragm chamber 37 of damper arrangement 34. The diaphragm in inflated to prevent the passage of air into section 59 and its discharge through nozzle 63 so that all secondary air induced into the unit passes through the heat exchanger 65. Assuming, however, that temperature in the area being treated decreases, control 48 senses such decrease in temperature and permits a portion of the control air pressure to bleed from chamber 43 thus reducing air pressure in diaphragm chamber 37 and permitting some portion of secondary air induced into the unit to bypass heat exchanger 65.

Similarly, under winter operating conditions, changeover valve 46 seiects chamber 36 to be connected to regulater 44 Thus chamber 36 is inflated while chamber 37 is deflated permitting secondary air induced into the unit to bypass the heat exchanger. However, as temperature conditions in the area being treated decrease, control 48 serves to bleed air from regulator 4 and diaphragm chamber 36 thus permitting some portion of the secondary air to be induced through the space or passageway between nozzles 62 and heat exchanger 65, the mixture passing through the heat exchanger 65 to heat the secondary air so that a mixture of primary and secondary air at a predetermined temperature is supplied to the area being treated.

The present invention provides an air conditioning unit which greatly reduces the cost of installation of an induction type air conditioning system since the piping costs may be greatly reduced while the need for changeover valves to vary flow of conditioning medium through the heat exchangers is eliminated. The unit may be almost wholly constructed in a factory thus eliminating the need for and cost of engineering services in the field. The use of air conditioning units of the present invention greatly simplifies the water piping of an induction type air conditioning system and permits the control to be integrated with a modular unit.

if desired, of course, primary air may be supplied from one plenum chamber of a first unit to a plenum chamber of a second unit while conditioning medium may be supplied from the heat exchanger of a first unit to the heat exchanger of a second unit thus permitting modular installation of the units rather than connecting each plenum chamber by means of a run-out to the riser.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood the invention is not so limited since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an air conditioning unit, the combination of a plenum chamber having a first portion thereof adapted to be placed in communication with a source of primary air and a second portion having discharge means therein, said second portion including a first section and a second section, said sections being placed substantially in side-byside relationship, a partition having openings therein to place the first portion in communication with the first section and the second section, a diaphragm arrangement cooperating with the walls of the partition openings, to regulate the quantity of primary air passing into the first section and the second section, control means to actuate said diaphragm arrangement responsive to a predetermined control air pressure, a heat exchanger placed above the first section of the plenum chamber and spaced there from, means forming a bypass passage adjacent said heat exchanger and placed above the second section of said plenum chamber, said heat exchanger being adapted to be placed in communication with a source of supply oi heat exchange medium and including a plurality of substantially vertically extending passages, said heat exchanger being spaced above said first section to form a secondary air passage communicating with said passages of the heat exchanger and said bypass passage, discharge of primary air from the discharge means of the first section inducing secondary air from the area being conditioned through the passageway to mix therewith, the mixture passing upward through the vertical passages in the heat exchanger in heat exchange relation with heat exchange medium therein, discharge of primary air from the discharge means of the second section inducing secondary air from the area being conditioned through the passageway to mix therewith, the mixture passing upward through the bypass passage and bypassing the vertical passages of the. heat exchanger.

2. .An air conditioning unit according to claim 1 in which the control includes means responsive to the tem perature of the, area being conditioned to actuate the diaphragm arrangement to vary the quantity of second-- ary air induced through or bypassing the heat exchanger.

3. An air conditioning unit according to claim 2 in which the diaphragm arrangement includes a separation plate, a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm, the first diaphragm cooperating with the walls of the opening in the first section and the second diaphragm cooperating with the Walls of the opening in the second section and means are provided to select the diaphragm in use.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,788,823 1/31 Callahan 9839 2,122,168 6/38 Woolley 165-123 2,463,322 3/49 Sewell et a1 236-38 X 3,058,664 10/62 Donahue 236/13 CHARLES SUKALO, Primary Examiner. JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Examiner. 

1. IN AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, THE COMBINATION OF A PLENUM CHAMBER HAVING A FIRST PORTION THEREOF ADAPTED TO BE PLACED IN COMMUNICATION WITH A SOURCE OF PRIMARY AIR AND A SECOND PORTION HAVING DISCHARGE MEANS THEREIN, SAID SECOND PORTION INCLUDING A FIRST SECTION AND A SECOND SECTION, SAID SECTIONS BEING PLACED SUBSTANTIALLY IN SIDE-BYSIDE RELATIONSHIP, A PARTITION HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN TO PLACE THE FIRST PORTION IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE FIRST SECTION AND THE SECOND SECTION, A DIAPHRAGM ARRANGEMENT COOPERATING WITH THE WALLS OF THE PARTITION OPENINGS, TO REGULATE THE QUANTITY OF PRIMARY AIR PASSING INTO THE FIRST SECTION AND THE SECOND SECTION, CONTROL MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID DIAPHRAGM ARRANGEMENT RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED CONTROL AIR PRESSURE, A HEAT EXCHANGER PLACED ABOVE THE FIRST SECTION OF THE PLENUM CHAMBER AND SPACED THEREFROM, MEANS FORMING A BYPASS PASSAGE ADJACENT SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AND PLACED ABOVE THE SECOND SECTION OF SAID PLENUM CHAMBER, SAID HEAT EXCHANGER BEING ADAPTED TO 